Then Again
by CJ10
Summary: (Chlex Pirates of the Caribbean x-over) Has Chloe's curiosity finally gotten her into a mess she can't get out of?
1. Unofficial Business

**Then Again**  
  
Summary: Has Chloe's curiosity finally gotten her into a mess she can't get out of?

  
A/N: I must be as insane as my family, friends and those pesky, know-all shrinks tell me I am, since I'm starting this when I have yet to finish my other fanfic, but it was just physically impossible to turn my back on this. Whatever I did, the idea for this fic just wouldn't leave me alone, and all the possibilities it brought with it were just too good to pass up...  
  
Disclaimer: I am far too unimaginative to do anything other than borrow other people's characters. In other words, I own nothing in this story besides all peeps you don't recognize. Which would mean that I am imaginative enough to write without borrowing other people's characters. Maybe what I need are other people's established plotlines . . . Author wanders off after successfully confusing herself  
  
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**PART 1: UNOFFICIAL BUSINESS**  
  
  
_´I'm in! I'm in! I can't believe I got in! I must be the luckiest armature inbreaker in the history of lucky amateur inbreakers! Of course... it's not like I needed luck. Of course not. I could've broken in if the window wasn't already open. Easily. I mean, it's not like I'm a rookie or something. I've had experience with- guards! Hide! Flee! Scream! Call 911! No wait! Don't! I´M the bad guy here. Bad girl, actually. Very bad girl. Very naughty girl. I need to be punished. Preferably with whip cream. And chocolate cake. Definitely chocolate cake. My, aren't we kinky today. But back to the point... What was it again? Oh yes, guar- shit!´_  
  
Diving under the desk that rested in the middle of the room she'd broken into, the blonde heard the door creaking open, accompanied by the sounds of two men chatting to each other amiably as they made their nightly tour around the building. What they were saying? The lone girl didn't know, nor did she care. All she cared about was getting her racing heart under control, in fright that the other figures would be able to hear it doing somersaults in her chest.  
  
The expected thudding of footsteps leading into the room never came as the door was closed again, the guards not even pretending to check it out and just continuing on down the hall.  
  
That was it? That was what she'd been dreading ever since she came up with the brilliant idea of snooping around the new Luthorcorp building in Ashtonville, a small deserted town ever farther from Metropolis than her own leafy little hamlet. She'd been afraid of getting caught by those idiots? Pff! Ridiculous. If she didn't know any better, she'd actually say she was disappointed. Not much of a challen-  
  
"Ouch!" Her hands flew to her head as she bumped it into the top of the desk while trying to get out from under it. _´Smart move, you cluts! That's gonna leave a bump.´_  
  
While she was tending to her hurting head, she almost failed to notice that the talking in the hallway had seized. Almost.  
  
"What was that?" Kevin asked his partner, straining to hear something. Dom just shrugged and gave him a ´How the hell am I supposed to know´-look. Retracing their earlier steps, they again opened the door behind which they'd heard the noise. Slowly, the guns their employer provided them with were drawn and they carefully entered, eyes sweeping over the furniture.  
  
Nothing.  
  
After a beat, Kevin lowered his weapon and gave an irritated sigh as he strode across the room, over to the open window. "The wind must've knocked something over," he said, closing it and shaking his head as he retreated down the hallway for the second time, Dom in tow. "I need to cut back on the caffeine."  
  
The girl's body slumped on the floor, allowing herself to breath again after having every muscle in her body on Defcon One. _´I can just stay here,´_ she thought. _´Just stay where I am and do nothing. And tomorrow morning, they'll find me rotting away on the floor, half-eaten by rats and other human-eating creatures, marinating in my own fluids. I can already see the headlines. Another mutilated teen found in Luthor building, carrying new disease developed by Luthorcorp scientists and infected through bites by million filthy, stinky, big-eyes rats. Kinda long, but give me a break! It's almost 1 am and I'm trying my best to act like a professional while I commit myself to highly illegal activities, which could most likely land me in jail as someone's bitch, or get ´lost´ by the hands of Lionel Luthor himself.´_  
  
With that in mind, she picked herself up and brushed the dirt off the low-cut, black jeans that she'd thrown on especially for the occasion. Why? Well, if she were to get caught, she could at least die knowing her ass looked damn good in those jeans.  
  
Straightening her bright red beanie, she plastered a determined look on her face before stalking into the hallway, guards long gone. _´Now to seek the truth! ...and some confidential files that'll make a great Torch front-page!´_  
  
Little did she know, that on the other side of that exact same building, another person had his mind on the same thing. Well... kinda.  
  
  
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His eyes never left the moving body on the screen in front of him, following her every move. The rational side of him cursed her for being so foolish, yet his other half felt almost amused at the girl's courage. Still, it remained the dumbest thing he'd ever seen her do, scoring just a few points below ´going to alien parasite cave and pining away after town's hero´.  
  
She had to be grateful to her friends for snitching on her. That was, after all, what lead him to following her, making sure to turn off the alarm of that one window and that there was currently no one watching the security monitors. He'd taken care of it all, knowing he wouldn't have been able to talk her into not going, but at least doing something to help her. He was the son of the head of Luthorcorp, and thus, was able to gain access to the facility, just by stating his name. Although they found it odd for him to visit at the early morning hours, they didn't question it. The people here had yet to be informed of the bond between father and son (or rather, lack of), and how their boss would most likely fire them if he found out they'd let the junior Luthor pass.  
  
Attention drawn to the screen again, he frowned slightly as he watched her check room after room, moving with in purposeful strides. It shouldn't surprise him that she was so set on discovering... something, but that totally devoted and determined look on her face still managed to catch him off guard from time to time. She had a passion and a goal and made it her life to pursue both.  
  
Unlike himself. He had had little choice in choosing a career, since he had not been given many options. Or to be precise, only one. Follow in father's footsteps. And even in that, he did not succeed. With everything in his power, he tried to get out from his father's shadow. Be greater in business than Lionel ever was.  
  
Oh, how proud daddy dear must be.  
  
Getting up from the chair he'd been occupying, he spared the monitor one last glance before exiting the security room.  
  
  
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_´Twenty-two files down, a sixty more to go. I should've taken that fast reading course Clark followed, because that guyed be on file fifty right about now. Now that I think about it, why didn't I just bring him along? Ah yes, he was too big of a wuss. _´You can't break in, Chloe, that's against the law. What if you get caught and you won't be able to listen to me droning on and on about Lana's beautiful hair and new pink sweater anymore. Who's supposed to help Lana decide what she's going to wear? It's really tough to choose between the light pink top, which accentuates her lack of personality and brains, or the more vibrant, lively pink top that is usually only worn on special occasions such as the milking of Bessie, my favorite cow.´ _Okay, I may have altered the last part a little itsy bit, but that's what it sounded like.´_  
  
Giving up on finding anything in that particular office, Chloe threw down the files and continued to wander aimlessly through the building, not having to worry about the guards, since they only made hourly shifts.  
  
_´LAB. Well, that interesting. Let's take a look.´_  
  
Opening the large door (which was cluttered with all kinds of warning), Chloe peeked inside and was surprised to see state of the art machinery covering every inch of the huge chamber. This was too high-tech for an ordinary Luthorcorp facility, and she immediately got a bad feeling. It just didn't make sense. Why would they pin this place as an ordinary facility, when it was obviously working on something with great importance. The money it would take to fund something like this proved that it was certainly not something that could be overlooked.  
  
Walking over to one wall, she fingered some of the equipment positioned there and tried to discern what it could be for. Looked like some sort of coordination device, but who was she to judge? It wasn't like she ever paid any attention in class.   
  
"Unofficial."  
  
It came to her all of the sudden and she felt like she'd been hit by a truck. Or actually, more like one of those expensive sport cars Lex drove. She'd just discovered a Luthorcorp cover-up for illegal research! This was huge! This was Daily Planet front-page news! This was going to land her spot in the journalism, and she'd be known as the first reporter that exposed Luthorcorp´s dirty business.  
  
Chloe felt like squealing in delight, but... she didn't. She had to take pictures. Lots of pictures. And find out what the use of all this was. Cloning. New drug. Biological weapons. Everything was possible, even....  
  
The girl's whole demeanor changed as her eyes picked up on something. On the other side of the lab, behind a large glass pane, she could see an all-familiar, green glow. Meteor rocks. They were working with meteor rocks.  
  
"Miss Sullivan."  
  
Chloe practically jumped out of her skin as she heard a voice from behind her. She whirled around so fast, she almost tripped over her own feet. "Fuck!"  
  
  
_TBC_  
  
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The other fandom will be revealed in the upcoming chapters, but in the meantime, I'll just have you guys guessing. That is, if you want me to continue this...... 


	2. The Big, Red Button

This has got to be my quickest update ever. Guess my muse fell in love with this fic. Hope the rest of you will at least like it, too. Sorry if it's too short, but I'm still busy. Anyways... well... Oh, just read already!  
  
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**PART TWO: THE BIG, RED BUTTON**  
  
  
"You see me and the first thing you think of is sex? I feel flattered." His trademark smirk played on his lips as he watched his manager's daughter reaction, reveling in the fact that he had managed to catch her by surprise. She actually seemed to be speechless for a full four seconds, before the look of shock painted on her features gave way for an expression of anger, which Lex thought looked absolutely adorable.  
  
He didn't try to deny it anymore, like he used to. He felt attracted to Chloe Sullivan. He had accepted it a long time ago, because it wasn't going to just go away. He'd done everything to get her out of his thoughts and dreams, but it was useless. She was there, and she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Especially not when she kept wearing things like that.  
  
Chloe was simply seething. How dare he! She was on a mission, and he just had to be there to ruin it. Bastard! She was going to publish this story, and there was nothing he could do about it. And why the hell wasn't he cowering under the totally evil glare she was throwing his way? What the HELL was he doing staring at her jeans?  
  
"Mr Luthor," she snapped, drawing his attention back to her face. "What are you doing here?"  
  
This had Lex arching a speculative brow. "Do you really think you're in the position to question _me_, Miss Sullivan? Might I remind you that this is Luthor property, and thus off limits to reporters?" He inquired, coincidently leaving out that he wasn't particularly welcome either. As it looked like she was about to protest, he quickly added, "In the middle of the night?"  
  
With a huff, Chloe crossed her arms in front on her, realizing that she didn't exactly have a counter-remark for that one. Well, at least not one that didn't include her making a complete fool out of herself. Lex´s interest, however, wasn't directed towards whatever answer she might provide him with, but to her chest, which had been generously pushed up at her action.  
  
Of course, it was that moment that the guards decided to make an appearance. Voices could be heard from outside the door, and Chloe´s eyes grew wide as she realized she was about to get busted, and thrown into jail, or worse. _'But Lex is here, right? He's not going to let anything happen to me. He'll just explain to them that I'm a friend of his, or actually friendly acquaintance. Well, not really friendly-´_  
  
Her inner ramblings were cut off as she felt a strong hand grasp her arm and drag her over to the middle of the lab, locking them both in some kind of iron chamber. It was small, obviously meant for one person only, had one tiny window, through which nothing was visible, and it was dark. Very, very dark. So dark, the only thing that betrayed that Lex was in there with her was the delicious feel of his abs pressed against her body and his warm breath on her cheek.  
  
Why was he in there with her? He was allowed, wasn't he? Couldn't he just explain everything to them, maybe add a little twist to the story? It´d probably be wise to leave a few things out, like her being a reporter, and stuff.  
  
As if reading her thoughts, he whispered, "Better safe than sorry."  
  
She tried not to shudder as his lips brushed against her ear, but it was useless. She hated the effect he had on her, and blushed in the darkness at the fact that he had most likely also felt her body's reaction to him.  
  
The lab's doors opened and the two guards from before entered. After having made some quick calls, security soon found out that the junior Luthor was to be seen as a trespasser, and had to be dealt with accordingly. What that meant, exactly, they weren't sure about, but they figured it involved drawing a gun.  
  
"I'll check here, while you check the back," Kevin told his partner and watched as the other guy just nodded dumbly and shuffled away. They looked in, under and above everything, not really eager to lose their jobs, when Dom saw something. A large, red button situated on the control panel, which had started blinking as soon as Chloe and Lex entered the tiny chamber, was calling to him, almost begging for him to push it. And what do you think Dom did, the dumb oaf that he was?   
  
He pressed the big, red button.  
  
  
_TBC_  
  
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So, what'll happen next? Well, whatever it's gonna be, you'll get your first taste of the crossover, so don't you dare miss it. Oh, and please review? _shoots readers the most adorable puppy look she can manage_


	3. Giant, Blonde Lobsters

**PART THREE: GIANT, BLONDE LOBSTERS**  
  
  
One moment she was squeezed tightly against a playboy billionaire's chest, the next, she was taking a freefall, her arms flinging and flailing about, hands searching desperately for anything to hold onto, but ending up empty.  
  
"AHHHHH!!!" She shrieked, eyes closed as she kept going down and down, until she felt her body collide with something. The impact forced the air out of her lungs, making her gasp for breath only to find her mouth filling with salty water as she broke through the harsh surface and continued to sink.  
  
The whole world faded around her, skin burning with a stinging pain, yet freezing from the icy waters. She didn't know right from left, up from down. In her frantic search for air, she could already feel her consciousness slipping away from her, retreating into the inviting darkness.   
  
The feeling of someone grabbing her hand and pulling her to the surface barely registered, until the hard air hit her face again. Her feet automatically paddled about as she coughed uncontrollably, trying to rid her lungs of the water that had forced its entry.  
  
"Chloe!"  
  
It sounded faint, but it cut through the ringing in her ears. Recognizing the voice immediately, she used her arms to turn in the water and face the man.  
  
Lex, who's eyes had never left the girl since he hauled her back up, was staring at her with worry painted all over his face, for both her safety and their current situation.  
  
Noticing this, Chloe gazed into the distance, frowning as she saw nothing but water. In fact, in every direction she looked, there was only water. ´_What the...´_  
  
"Uhmm... Lex? I don't know about you, but I don't remember taking a swan dive out of a plane above the pacific, do you?"  
  
"Nor particularly," he answered, dry sarcasm seeping into his tone, then suddenly turned serious. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, never mind me. When you've figured out a plan to get us out of the set of Waterworld, I'll just be floating right over here..." she trailed off as she did her best to still her body, trying to make herself drift on the surface like one might in calm waters. However, they weren't in calm waters, and she kept being pulled down, much to her annoyance.  
  
Lex watched her for a moment, before lightly shaking his head and thinking of how they could've ended up there. Maybe the guards had discovered them and knocked them unconscious somehow, and his father had dumped them in the middle of nowhere. Maybe he was just having a very sick and twisted dream where Chloe Sullivan was cursing every single wave that hit her.  
  
But he didn't have time to ponder that, because whatever the case was, it wasn't very pleasant, and he had to get them out ASAP. But how the hell? He couldn't just snap his fingers and conjure up some little island. He couldn't just blink and, by magic, create at the horizon-  
  
"A ship!"  
  
He had barely noticed that Chloe had stopped ranting and raving, and looked up to see a ship, indeed. It was still very far, and it would take a while to reach them, but fortunately, it was heading in their direction.  
  
"We're going to be rescued!" Chloe cheered happily, glad that she would be able to finally escape the cold of the water, and hopefully get back the feeling in her right leg. The thought of having to tell her father that her new camera had drowned didn't look all that appealing to her, but it was better than staying there and getting swallowed by some huge tuna-sandwich-to-be. Of course, it had crossed her mind that Lionel Luthor was the one that had arranged all this and she wouldn't be able to return home, but she'd rather not linger on that at the moment. Too depressing for such a hot day.  
  
Averting her eyes to the sky, she sun shone brightly on her face, hurting her eyes with its intensity. Man, without sun block, she was going to look like a giant, blonde lobster by the end of the day.  
  
_´Wait, day? Isn't it night? Oh yeah, the whole attempt at killing thing must've taken some time. Hmm, Lex is being unusually quiet. What's up with him?´ _After another glance at their surroundings, she took it back. ´_Okay, stupid question.´_  
  
Gaze still locked on the growing dot in the distance, Lex squinted in the light, trying to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him. It wouldn't be surprising, but he felt rather sober. He now had a clearer view of the ship and was stunned at what he saw. What that a... pirate ship?  
  
  
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Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please REVIEW!  J


	4. We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto

**CHAPTER FOUR: We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.**  
  
Anamaria had just come up on the deck again, only to find the crew in an uproar, everyone running from one side of the ship to another. As an elder man passed her, she grabbed his arm and halted his motions long enough to ask him what all the commotion was about.  
  
"Two men overboard, is all I heard," Gibbs answered, before prying himself out of her grip and continuing on with whatever he was doing.  
  
With a small frown, she walked over to the front of the ship and peered out onto the waters. Indeed, two heads broke the surface, disturbing the water's perfect picture. She immediately turned on her heel and started below deck again. "Jack!" She shouted upon approaching his cabin. "Jack!"  
  
"Bloody ´ell," the woman heard him mutter as she entered. "How many times ´ave I told ye to call me capt´n?" Just ignoring the remark like usual, she told him:  
  
"We got two men overboard, sir."  
  
This seemed to peak his interest and made him look up from the desk he was busying himself at. "Crew?"  
  
"Nay. Yet there's not a ship in sight, and it don't look like no wreck either."  
  
"Bring ´em aboard."  
  
"Aye, sir."  
  
In her overwhelming relief, Chloe failed to notice the ship's strange exterior, too busy thinking of all the delicious ways she could use this as an excuse to skip school for a week. Not to mention the headlines! Not only did she have proof of Luthorcorp´s shady business, but also WAS proof of it. Oh no, wait, she didn't have her proof anymore. _´This is the twenty-first century, for god's sake! Why the hell aren't those digital camera's waterproof? Ah well, the lab will probably still be there. It's not like they can get all the stuff out of the facility in one night, can they? And if they think they got rid of me, its unlikely for them to feel threatened. They'll just leave everything where it is. Right at the address I'll give to the authorities...´_  
  
Her inner ramblings were enough to have her forget all about the billionaire paddling a few feet away from her, whose mind was also working overtime. He couldn't for the life of him think of one company that still manufactured real ships like these. It didn't look like some commercial stunt, since it wasn't surrounded by tons of media boats. And it seemed unlikely to him that they were shooting some kind of film there. Besides, the ship struck him as old, antique even, with the torn black sails. Scary.  
  
As it finally came within reach, he grabbed one of the ropes that were thrown over the railing, gripping it tightly as he started climbing.  
  
The moment he set foot on the deck, he wanted to jump back in the water again. Men of all sizes and shapes were staring at him with undivided interest, eying him warily. The first thing he noticed was that they looked even more horrible than Lex himself when waking up after a night of clubbing with his Met U friends. These people were covered in dirt and grime and smelled like something that had been lying in the fridge for waaaaay too long. The swords and various other weapons didn't fail to catch his attention, either. Oh, he'd really hit the jackpot this time!  
  
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!"  
  
His head whipped around just in time to see Chloe climbing onto the ship with super speed. Unfortunately, her foot caught the railing, and she was sent straight towards the deck, bashing into it with a loud thud. "Ouch!"  
  
Brow's furrowing in concern, Lex quickly bent down beside her to help her get up, but she just swatted his hands away. "I can get to my feet all by myself, thank you very much," she bit at him while picking herself off the floor. The ship's rocking almost sent her down again, but she managed to steady herself by grabbing the railing. "Damn waves," she muttered, then her eyes grew wide as she remembered the reason for her shrieking again. "Shark! There was a shark! I saw it! It was coming at me like Lana on an all-pink sale in Bloomingdales!"  
  
Lex, resisting the urge to chuckle, just told her: "Don't be foolish. We don't have sharks in Kansas."  
  
"Well, we don't have fucking oceans either, but where the fuck did I nearly drown in just 5 seconds ago, Mr Smart-ass? I can tell you that I saw something down there, and it sure as hell ain´t fucking Flipper!!"  
  
The sound of someone clearing their throat beside them caught their attention and both turned to see a peculiar looking man standing there, mouth twisted in an amused grin.  
  
As the first had finally been hauled aboard, Jack regarded the man with curiosity. His first impression of him was 'smooth'. Smooth (albeit strange) clothes, smooth chin, smooth scalp. The last one was the most noticeable, since almost every man he'd encountered either wore long, white wigs, or didn't even bother to cut their hair.  
  
It seemed funny to him how the sun reflected off the shiny head, but his shameless remark was cut off as a shriek pierced the salty air, followed by another figure emerging from over the side. This one, however, didn't waste any time getting intimate with the deck. His head seemed to bounce off the rough wood and a loud groan drifted to his ears.   
  
_´Screams like a girl,´_ entered his mind, making him chuckle silently as he watched the bald man try and help his friend, only to be dismissed.  
  
The new person's voice seemed rather high-pitched, but he figured he was just a young lad, until...  
  
His mouth almost dropped to the floor in surprise, blown away as the lad stood up, revealing himself to be a girl. A girl dressed in men's clothing. His eyes slowly drifted down her body, resting on her jeans. _´Tight men's clothing,´_ he corrected himself, a dreamy expression creeping onto his face.  
  
The loud Shark!´ brought him back to the present and his gaze flew to the girl's face. The pretty picture it made, blonde locks reaching just above her shoulders, framing her delicate looking features, took him aback once again. She wasn't like any lady he'd ever seen before. Or heard, for that matter, as he noted the heavy sarcasm in her snappy remarks. _´Kansas?´_  
  
Deciding that it was about time to make his presence known, he loudly cleared his throat, effectively drawing their attention. The annoyed look on the girl's face only made his predatory grin widen.  
  
"Allow me to introduce meself. The name's Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl," he told them, motioned towards the ship in general with barely suppressed pride. "And since we've jus´ saved ye from there shark-filled waters," stretching the word shark with a pointed look at the hairless man, "I think it's only fair we know who the two of ye are."  
  
TBC


	5. Epiphanies and Disney Rejects

**CHAPTER FIVE: EPIPHANIES AND DISNEY REJECTS**

Arching an annoyed brow, Chloe took everything in with calm indifference, obviously not impressed. The only thing that actually managed catch her interest was the figure that had announced himself to be the captain. It was a strange man, dark hair longer than hers, all sorts of beads and little trinkets braided into it, together with some dreadlocks.  
  
As for clothing, he kind of reminded her of a mix between some rich, seventeenth century guy out of her history book and a California bum. The former white, muslin shirt was a bit too large for his lean form, front open at the top to reveal some of his smooth, muscular chest. The cuffs were plain and unbuttoned, leaving them to hang off his eloquent wrists. His grayish blue pants matched his long vest perfectly, not too full but not too tight either as it was partially held up by a very wide leather belt in a common looking brownish hue.  
  
A white and pink (formerly red) pinstripe sash, which made her think of a candy cane, was wrapped around his waist multiple times, then tied together in a messy knot, the free ends dangling a bit lower than his knees.  
  
From what she could tell, he also had a narrow black belt under the first one, holding his sword in place, but she couldn't be- Sword!?  
  
Her eyes snapped up to the man's face, the smirk on his undoubtedly handsome features doing nothing to quell her anger. Whom she was angry at, she wasn't exactly sure of. Maybe it was the Captain for looking so damn smug. Maybe it was Lionel for dumping her in the middle of nowhere in freezing water. Or maybe she was angry at   
Lex for not just having made his presence known to the guards and unarming the situation, instead of squeezing them in some small space. Although, if he did have authority over the guards, why did he end up here with her?  
  
Not really in the mood to ponder this, Chloe just crossed her arms, ignoring Sparrow's inquiry. "So," she began, eyes shifting from one grungy figure to the next. "Circus was full, heh?" All she received were blank looks.  
  
At the same time, Lex was thinking something else entirely, still having difficulty wrapping his mind over the fact that they may´ve gotten themselves into more trouble than either of them had ever encountered before. As senseless as it all was, it made sense in a disturbing way that sent small shivers down his spine.  
  
He had not overlooked the obvious meteor rocks back at the lab, and he remembered reading a stray report about something like this a while back. It all fitted perfectly, if only it hadn't been impossible. Still, with his father involved, you never knew...  
  
"Throw 'em back in!" a rough voice sounded from within the crew, earning sounds of agreement from a few others.  
  
This only managed to strengthen his resolve, and before the blonde could even scoff at the comment, the Luthor spoke up first. "My name's Lex, and this is Chloe," he told Jack, who had yet to take his eyes off the girl. "We were well on our way home when there was a mutiny on the ship. We managed to escape just before getting killed like the others."  
  
Chloe furrowed her brows. "We did? I don't remem-"   
  
"That's," he continued on forcefully, shooting her a meaningful look. "Because you were knocked unconscious, and I had to save you." Turning back towards the man, he watched his reaction. Jack didn't seem to find it ridiculous, nor amusing, but just returned his gaze evenly. Then, as if having come to a decision:  
  
"Take 'em to the brig!"  
  
Almost immediately, there were two large guys by his side, roughly escorting him below deck. The same happened with Chloe, who tried with all her might to slip out of their grasp. "Hey! Keep your dirty paws off me, creeps!" she told them, elbowing one in the gut. The man buckled before grabbing her again. Painfully, this time.  
  
With little trouble, they got the fiercely struggling girl to the brig, and threw her in, before leaving them. Lex, who was already inside, could just catch her from falling, and her hands instinctively went to his shoulders, steadying herself.   
  
The first thing she noticed was the delicious feel of his strong arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him. It caused a small tingle to travel down her spine, making her gaze fly up to lock with Lex's. A moment passed between them as they continued to just stare at each other, neither willing to end it by turning away.  
  
That was, until another thing managed to fight its way through the fog that had settled over her mind. Brows furrowing, Chloe reluctantly broke the eye contact to look down, frowning even more when her suspicions were confirmed.  
  
"Why are we standing here up to our knees in water?" she questioned, then quickly rephrased herself. "Why are we standing here?" Not entirely satisfied yet, she added. "In the dark?" And since she was on a roll. "Locked up?"  
  
With an inward sigh, he released her and created the greatest distance between them the tiny cell could provide. He knew that he needed to think straight, and that task was near to impossible when he could smell the fresh, peach-scented shampoo the snarky reporter had washed her hair with that morning. "I'm a little disappointed you haven't figured it out already, Miss Sullivan."   
  
He sounded calm, maybe even a bit mocking, but he got the desired effect out of her. Crossing her arms over her chest and taking on a rather defensive stance, Chloe narrowed her eyes in a manner that he had come to recognize as an indication that the wheels were turning inside her head. "Well, excuse me," she barked snidely. "I was too busy getting manhandled by those Disney rejects to summon up an epiphany. You, on the other hand, didn't seem to be having any problems just now. By the way, have I thanked you already for saving my life from those terrible, terrible mutineers?"  
  
A small grin lifted one corner of his mouth. "I had to tell them something, right?" Her mouth opened again, but he quickly cut her off. "They're pirates." As he blurted it out, he watched her closely, gauging her reaction.  
  
There was a beat as she just stared at him, trying to find out if he was for real, or just messing with her. It was then that she cracked up, bursts of laughter shaking her body. "Are you sure it wasn't you who got hit over the head, Luthor?" she managed after calming down a little, eyes sparkling even in the dark surroundings of the lower deck.  
  
Since she obviously wasn't getting it, his grin faltered and he lowered himself onto the cot hanging against the wooden wall, reaching just above the water. He found that he was more tired than he had earlier thought himself to be, the weight of all that was happening starting to press down on him. "As you're already aware of, my father has been interested in cloning for quite some time now, using the meteor rocks in the hopes of furthering his research." She nodded, silently wondering how he'd found out about her digging into that particular subject. "What you probably don't know, is that he has started investigating…" he paused, knowing how utterly ridiculous was going to sound. "Time transportation."  
  
This time, however, she didn't start laughing, but only nodded grimly, taking in the information she was receiving. Lex had been right, it did sound insane, but who was she to suddenly turn skeptical. Chloe Sullivan, meteor rock expert. She knew that the green substance was capable to doing many things, but this…?  
  
She shook her head. "Impossible."  
  
"And yet here we are, trapped in the brig of a pirate ship, surrounded by nothing but ocean, with no recollection of how we got here. Don't you think that's a bit strange?"  
  
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna go HG Wells on your ass!" She was losing her patience now, plopping down on the cot beside him, then positioned herself so that she was facing him. "I knew this was going to happen sooner or later, but did you just have to loose your mind now? I'm in no mood to be the sane one of this odd, little couple. I mean, when those smelly dudes up there decide to get rid of you and your shiny head, don't look at me. I'm not gonna stop them. Hell, I'll probably encourage them! A crazy Lex Luthor is not exactly going to come in handy, so it's easier to just get rid of you all together. Don't be surprised if I'm the one to actually push you overboard-"  
  
"Chloe, enough! I get it!" he said forcefully, not really wanting to hear the imminent details of how she'd kill him off. "I am not crazy, and those _smelly dudes _are pirates. There's no other reasonable explanation."  
  
"Reasonable?" she asked incredulously, mouth agape. "I have yet to hear a reasonable thing from you since we regained consciousness!"  
  
"But that's just it! What if we were never asleep? I don't feel nauseous, or have a headache, and those are the usual side affects of being knocked out or sedated." Scooting closer to her, he grabbed her hands in his, forcing her to look into his eyes. "It makes sense. The height from which we fell, the time difference. We've been placed back into time by accident. One of the guards must've triggered something…"  
  
Pulling her hands back, she started to protest again. "But that still doesn't explain what we're doing here. I doubt they wanted to send someone or something to a watery death. If they were really intent on this time travel stuff, there would've been something to decide where they wanted to-" any further words were stopped short in her throat as she remembered the machine with all the little dots and stuff in the lab that had reminded her of some sort of coordination device. "Oh."  
  
There was a long silence as the two just listened to the waves crashing against the hull of the ship, resulting in the constant rocking of the large vessel. Leaning back, Lex could feel his body relaxing with the soothing motions, eyes slowly starting to droop closed. Just an hour, he told himself.  
  
Just as he was about to give into the urge to surrender to the inviting darkness, a voice cut through his daze.  
  
"So… why wasn't it you that had to be saved from the mutineers?"TBC


	6. Lowest of the Lowest

**CHAPTER SIX: LOWEST OF THE LOWEST**

Gazing out at the rapidly darkening horizon, Jack held a firm grip on the wheel, the sounds of his crew working on the deck below him passing by his deafened ears. The only thing filling his head were his thoughts, whirling around in his mind like a storm unleashed by the devil himself. And the focus of this attention was currently residing in the brig.  
  
It probably wasn´t really necessary to lock them up down there, but he had to keep the crew, loyal as they were, in his good graces, which meant taking control of the situation. And though the two strangers hardly posed a threat, they´d lied to him right in his face. The bald man was obviously experienced with it and any other would´ve fallen for his words without a second thought, but not Jack. The Captain had altered the truth himself on so many occasions, he could not be fooled that easily.  
  
And then there were the other elements that had roused his suspicions. He had sailed all round the world, from London to Singapore and back again, but never once had he come in contact with a culture that would deem the odd couple´s attire reasonable, especially that of the lass. What was she called again? Not a common name, but he found himself silently admiring it.  
  
"Chloe," he said softly, letting the word roll of his tongue in his usual slurred fashion, a grin coming to play upon his tout lips. Sounded better than when that other lad said it.  
  
"Okay, ye pigs," Anamaria´s voice suddenly cut through his daze. "For anyone tha´ favours a bite, to the galley with ye!"  
  
Immediately, most of the crew disappeared below deck, except for the few that had a job to finish first before being allowed to feast themselves on whatever the cook had put together. Since it was considered undignified for a Captain to eat amongst his men, Jack was usually assigned to having his meals alone, although he would sometimes join the others in the galley anyway, just to have some drinking companions. Not this time, though. He wasn´t quite in the mood to be dealing with noisy seament, which was strange in itself, since he himself fit in that category perfectly most of the time.  
  
Then, as if straight out of Davy Jones´ locker, an idea entered his mind, having him inwardly beaming with glee.  
  
Anamaria, already having been prepared for this, came over as soon as she saw the Captain´s eyes land on her. Taking the wheel from him, she watched as he swayed down the helm, a lazy grin on his face.  
  
For a moment, she actually pitied the two poor souls in the brig.  
  
"Chloe, will you please stop that?"  
  
The pleas that he had been voicing for what felt like forever now went ignored by her as she just continued with what she was doing. By now, Lex had already tossed aside his suit jacket, now totally ruined by the water, and had unbuttoned the top buttons of his purple shirt. Wherever they were, it was damn hot! Too bad mankind had yet to invent air-conditioning.  
  
"It's not going to work! Do us both a pleasure and just give it up!"  
  
This finally seemed to reach her and she turned from the cell door to face Lex. "Give up?" she repeated, disbelief etching on her features. "We're locked up here, and you want to just give up? What if they decide that they want to have some fun in their pathetic, meaningless, dirty, little lives? What if they have us walk the plank?"  
  
"They're not going to have us walk the plank," Lex told her determinedly in a rather weak and futile attempt to put her mind at ease. Chloe just crossed her arms over her chest.  
  
"I've seen Peter Pan enough freakin' times to know that pirates love feeding the fishies!"  
  
The billionaire frowned at this. "Peter who?"  
  
"You know, short guy, never gets wrinkly, spend his time flying around..." Trailing off at his blank look, she finally succumbed to what he'd been asking of her for hours now. She gave up. Letting out an explosive sigh, she threw down the hairpin with which she'd been trying to unsuccessfully pick the lock, watching it disappear under the thick layer of water. Besides, if they did manage to escape, where would they go? They were on a freakin´ ship! Still, she didn't like this feeling of helplessness. She wasn't used to surrendering herself to a bunch of stinkin´ retards.  
  
Ungracefully, she slouched down on the cot next to Lex, staring out the small window opposite to them. Not much could be seen, though, since the sun had already set and painted the skies black, the dark color pierced every once in a while by the tiniest of lights. The stars must look beautiful out on the open sea.  
  
Closing her eyes, she remembered the time had father had sent her to stay with her grandparents, not long after his wife had left them. as a small child, she had considered that week the most adventurous time of her life. Her granddad had just purchased a sailboat. It wasn't grand, or even that glamorous, but she'd fallen in love with it at first sight. The aged man letting his pleading granddaughter do small tasks aboard, unable to avoid getting infected by her childlike enthusiasm.  
  
The wind whipping her untamed locks wildly around her face, eyes squinted to watch in awe as Charles maneuvered the vessel through the waves, his lifelong partner waving them off from the docks, fussing out their safety.  
  
The memory brought a smile to her face, making her heart mourn once again for the loss of her grandparents, life having taken them from her too soon.  
  
Swept up in remembrance, she wasn't aware of Lex´s eyes on her, his mind curious as to what it was that had the ever-present blonde retreating into thought. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help but wonder if it involved a certain pirate Captain.  
  
He wasn't blind. He'd noticed the way Sparrow's eyes had devoured Chloe, intrigue mingled with lust hiding behind his gaze. It enraged and unsettled him, especially since he didn't know just what the man was capable of. Pirates were famous for being scum. The lowest of the lowest. Thieves, murderers and...  
  
Craning his head, he could hear footsteps approaching, coming to a halt right in front of the door. He could see that this hadn't been lost on Chloe as he threw a glance her way. She was watching the door with rapt attention, eyes narrowing as it swung open to reveal the man that had so kindly escorted her down there earlier that day.  
  
Not allowing the blonde to make some scathing remark that would surely not land them in the man's good graces, Lex stood up, hands wrapping themselves around the bars of their confinement. "Are you getting us out?" he questioned, surprising both Chloe and the man slightly with his casual exterior, as if he was merely asking for the time.  
  
Huygen nodded with a grin that showed off all his crooked, yellow teeth, reaching into his pocket for the keys. "Capt´n Sparrow asks for yer company. Wouldn't want to dis´point him now, would we?"  
  
"Our company?" Chloe prodded further, stepping out as soon as the door opened, Lex following close behind. The fact that their hands remained unbound and only this man was sent to collect them proved that they were not seen as a threat or standard prisoners. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to see the inside of that dreary cell ever again.  
  
"Over dinner. Now get movin´. I want to be gettin´ some food meself."  
  
Without further ado, they were led towards the Captain´s cabin, Huygen´s knuckles sounding rough against the wooden door. An affirmative was voiced from within, and their escort opened the door to reveal a rather generous area compared to the ship's size.  
  
And just like that morning, the first thing Chloe´s eyes were drawn to was the figure sitting at the end of a large table. Though, _sitting_ wasn't quite the correct term. _Sprawled_ would be more accurate. Feet propped up on the table, he was leaning against the back of the chair comfortably, one arm dangling of the side while the other rested in his lap, goblet clutched tightly in his hand.  
  
For a fleeting moment, he actually looked more delicious than the food littered all over the table, but she shrugged this thought off just as quickly.  
  
Attracted to a dirt-covered pirate that was long dead before she had even been born? How fucked up would that be?TBC


	7. Sleeping Arranges and Mental Images

**CHAPTER SEVEN: BRING ALONG BALDY**

Jack sat at the table in his cabin, the very same one where unbeknownst to Jack, Barbossa had watched Elizabeth eat only months before. He was fiddling with the beads in his hair, wondering if maybe it was time to add some new ones, when there was a knock on the cabin door. After hollering something inaudible, Huygen entered with the two strangers in tow.  
  
The irritation that the lass had showed that morning didn't only seemed to have gotten worse, but now it was also directed on one single person, namely Jack himself. The vicious glare she was throwing his way made him want to cringe and shrink deeper into the chair. But what kind of a captain would he be if he cowered under a woman's mere gaze? Besides, she looked sexy all worked up.  
  
With a sort of drunken grace, he swung his feet off the table and stood up, a lascivious grin curling his delectable lips. "Miss Chloe, I'm pleased to see that ye accepted me offer." He was rewarded with a snort as she just went ahead and seated herself, taking a large gulp of the wine-filled goblet that awaited her there.  
  
"First of all," she began, voice harsh as she kept her eyes trained on the Captain that had already returned to his previous position, watching her intently. "It wasn't presented as an offer. Secondly, I haven't eaten since the freakin' twenty-first century and no way in hell am I gonna say no to food. I may be crazy, but I'm not _that_ crazy."  
  
At this, the grin on Jack's face only widened, turning from lecherous to amused. "I apoligize for any discomfort-" cut off by a loud huff, he rolled his eyes, getting more than a little annoyed by her wordless displays of dissatisfaction. "But," he continued on. "let's jus' leave that in the past and look towards our future-" Chloe scoffed. "Will ye just let me bloody finish, woman!" Silence. "Where was I? Oh yes, our...."  
  
This time, it was him who trailed off, finally noticing the two other persons in the room. Head snapping to his right, Jack eyed Lex warily, fully aware of the other man's scowl. "Huygen, what's he doin' here?" he questioned, keeping his gaze on the billionaire for a little while longer before relocating it to his second mate.  
  
Huygen, who had been waiting for any sign that he was excused, just shrugged, looking as innocent as a pirate could. "Ye asked fo' me to bring 'em both, Capt'n."  
  
Letting his head fall, Jack rubbed his temples, trying to wrap his mind around the man's stupidity. In what way did 'I want to be dining with some female company' sound like 'Bring along baldy'? "Huygen?"  
  
"Aye, Capt'n?"  
  
"Go join the others in the galley." He thought about ordering him to take Lex back to the brig first, but he feared that it would not make such a good impression on the petit blonde, who was currently busying herself nibbling on a piece of chicken.  
  
"Thank you, sir." Huygen nodded and left immediately, not having to be told twice.  
  
Lex, after having been forgotten, had taken the liberty to place himself at the table to Sparrow's right, since Chloe had already taken his left. It was clear to him that Jack had taken a liking to the young reporter, and the worries that he'd been having a little while back started to resurface again, making his body tense up. He was able to relax a bit at Chloe's obviously hostile reply, but wasn't put entirely at ease. He himself could vividly remember all the times her snark had only managed to... stimulate him more.  
  
Raising the wine to her lips, Chloe surveyed the situation. Huygen had apparently fled and left Lex to glare at Jack, who was throwing rather amusing glances back at him. This continued on for a while longer, and any other person would've been dying under the uncomfortable tension, but not Chloe. It was true when she said she hadn't eaten in a long time. The last meal she'd had was the morning before breaking into the Luthorcorp branch, and that felt like forever.  
  
Her musings were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Jack, who had gotten tired of the awkwardness that had descended upon them, let out a dramatic sigh as he reached for the rum bottle. Dazzling the lass with his charm was going to be much more difficult now that Baldy was there. "Ye said earlier that there was a mut'ny on yer ship. Where were you heading?"  
  
"Home," Chloe answered between bites, not even bothering to look up.  
  
The Captain forced a smile onto his face. "An' where, pray tell, would that be?"  
  
Lex noticed the way Chloe's attitude was affecting the pirate, and decided to cut in. "England."  
  
"Funny. Ye don' have accents." The suspicion was obvious.  
  
"We travel a lot."  
  
"So the two of ye are related?"  
  
"We're close." Giving the other man a hard, meaningful look, he added. "_Very_ close." If he could get the other man to think that he and Sullivan were romantically involved, hopefully he would back off. Unfortunately, Sparrow didn't seem to be getting the message, or did, and just didn't care. The almost sinister grin confirmed the latter.  
  
"Things change."  
  
"Opposed to bodily functions." Interrupting them, Chloe stood up. "Where can I find the bathroom?" she asked, staring intently at Jack, who just frowned back at her.  
  
"A what, luv?"  
  
Rolling her eyes, she tried to ignore how completely adorable the man looked confused. "You know, the ladiesroom, toilet, john-" she cut herself off as she remembered where exactly they were, or to be more precise, when.  
  
Finally realizing just what the lass was blabbering on about, an almost thriumphant grin formed. "The privy's below deck. Jus' walk till ye reach the end of the hall. Ye'll find a door there. If ye want, I can show-"  
  
"Oh no, it's okay. I think I can handle it on my own, thanx."  
  
Nodding, both men watched her disappear from the cabin, silence once again reigning. Lex and Jack glanced at each other for a long, tense moment, each unsure of what to say or do.  
  
"So..."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
A beat.  
  
"Rum?"  
  
"What do _you_ think?"  
  
She couldn't believe this was happening. As if it wasn't bad enough that she was stuck in the past with the cast of Muppet Treasure Island, only without the muppets, treasure, or island.  
  
Grumbling, Chloe could just keep herself from banging into the wall for the millionth time. She wasn't used to being on a ship, and the constant rocking was more than just annoying. It was outright dangerous. Earlier, when walking down the stairs, she fell from the last few steps, falling flat on her face.  
  
Rubbing her still aching nose, Chloe saw that she had already reached the end of the hallway, and opened the door. The smell that attacked her was inhuman, and she wobbled a few steps back, trying to keep herself from retching. "You've gotta be kiddin' me," she muttered, squeezing her nose shut tightly. This was worse than the time she'd babysitted her nephew and had to clean his diaper.  
  
Both men were eating quietly, minding their own business, when they accidentily reached for the peanut-bowl at the same time. Exchanging looks, Lex squared his jaw, ripping the bowl out of Jack's grasp. "I had them first."  
  
Surprised flashed in the Captain's eyes for a mere second, but was soon replaced by cool anger. "This' _my_ ship, lad."  
  
"Doesn't mean they're _yours_," he replied back snidely, grabbing the nuts and raising them to his mouth.  
  
Jack dangerously narrowed his eyes. "Ye wouldn't dare." Lex just smirked, popping them into his mouth one by one. That was the last straw. The pirate leaned forward, quickly stealing a bun from the other man's plate, making Lex's eyes grow wide.  
  
"Hey! That's mine!"  
  
"No' anymore, mate."  
  
"You stole it from me!"  
  
"I'm a pirate! What did ye expect?"  
  
"Give it back!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"It likes me mo'e!"  
  
"It's only just met you!"  
  
They were nose to nose by now, each trying to stare the other down, but neither willing to admit defeat. "Give it up!"  
  
"Never!"  
  
As Lex tried to grab it, Jack held it above his head. Unfortunately for him, they were about the same size, so it didn't help much. What came next, he wasn't expecting. Lex dropkicked Jack, making the pirate release the bun and crumpling down to nurse his wounded shin. "Ye fight like a girl!"  
  
"You look like one!"  
  
Infuriated, Jack totally forgot about his injury and used his leg to swipe Lex's out from under him. With a loud thud, the bald man hit the wooden floor, taking a moment to process what had happened. "You bastard!"  
  
"Ye say it like its a bad thing," Jack replied, undignified. Hands finally having found their target, his frown was replaced by a broad grin. "Besides, I've got the bun." His victory, however, was short lived as the other man lunged for him, knocking them both to the ground again.  
  
And the fight continued.  
  
Chloe paused to breathe in the fresh, salty air, while making her way across the deck again. You only start to really appreciate it after visiting the seventeenth century and its gruesome, horrific, sickening, atrocious, horrendous, abominable odors.  
  
Feeling a bit better, she continued on up the steps, not even bothering to knock as she reached the cabin. The scene that greeted her upon entering, however, she could've lived without.  
  
"Get off me!" Came a shout from under the table, sounding very much like the Captain's, but her sight was blocked by the large tablecloth.  
  
"Then let go of my bun!"  
  
"It's me bun now! Unless ye wanna cough up me nuts!"  
  
"Too late, isn't it? Now get- AHH! Will you point that weapon somewhere else? It's poking me!"  
  
"No! And yer not getting me bun!" Incoherent sounds. "Ye bit it!!"  
  
"And it tasted _goooood_..."  
  
"That's it! Yer..."  
  
Fumbling to close the door behind her, Chloe's eyes were wide with horror. _'Those two sure don't beat around the bush. My god! I guess I always knew Lex was gay... subconsciously. I mean, it's quite obvious now that I think about it. Two marriages that didn't last longer than a week, intelligent, great conversationalist, perfect dresser, those purple shirts. Oh, the purple! Well, nothing I can do but accept it. If he's happy-'_ she winced as another cry came from inside the cabin. _'Then who am I to stand in the way, right?'_  
  
Not really wanting to go inside, she turned to go explore the ship, only to find the door opening behind her, a panting Lex standing at the threshold. "What are you doing out there?"  
  
"I just, ehh..."  
  
"Come in."  
  
Uncomfortably stepping inside, Chloe failed to notice Lex rubbing the spot where the butt of Jack's sword had been pressing into his side. She sat down at the table, inspecting the pirate out of the corner if her eye. _'How could I NOT have noticed before? What guy wears beads in his hair? And the hands? I've never met a guy who's hands were so... out there.'_  
  
"So, luv," Jack breathed, flashing her his most charming smile while subtly kicking a few pieces of torn bread under the table. "Where were we?"**TBC**


	8. WakeUp Calls

**CHAPTER EIGHT: WAKE-UP CALLS**  
  
Rubbing her temples, Chloe groggily dragged herself up the steps, groaning as the early sun harshly shone down upon her face. Shielding her eyes from the offending light, her gaze roamed the deck in an attempt to spot a familiar face. For a slight moment, worry settled itself in the pit of her stomach when all she could see were dirty-faced pirates, but then a loud voice caught her attention. Turning towards the helm, she could see her roommate barking orders at the crew, hands tightly secured around the vessel's wheel.  
  
Closing in the distance between herself and the other woman, the blonde muttered darkly under her breath. The fact that she was not in the least a morning person, that could be dealt with in a number of ways, but to have several foul-smelling men bump into her or roughly glide past her was enough to spark her irritation to a greater extent.  
  
"Goddamnit!" she hissed loudly as yet another body collided with hers, almost having her lose her balance completely, a good amount of swaying already having been present thanks to the ship's less than gentle rocking. "Get a fucking pair of glasses, you prehistoric proto-loser!"  
  
Glancing up, she found herself face to face with a wide-eyed teen, mouth opening in what she assumed to be an attempt to form a somewhat decent response to her outburst, which, naturally, never came. Instead, his brows furrowed as confusion set itself into his young features.  
  
With a heavy sigh, Chloe couldn't bring herself to sympathise with the boy as she pushed past him, resuming her previous course.  
  
Anamaria noticed the approaching figure and gave her a slight wave in a way of greeting. Mr Gibbs, who was also standing at the helm, managed to surpass the dark-skinned woman's kindness and actually bothered to speak up. "G'morning, Miss Chloe. Ye had a fine night's rest, I hope?"  
  
"Freakin' fabulous," she huffed, unconsciously tugging at the hem of her red tanktop somewhat. The not-so-subtle stares she received from the crew didn't really disturb her, but were now starting to get on her nerves, like many things that _fine_ morning.  
  
She considered herself to be a fairly hygenic person and prided herself on the time she, much to her own surprise, found to shower each morning (and preferably night) before heading off to school. And to not even be able to clean herself after taking a swim in salt waters, it was truly bothering her. She didn't at all enjoy the stringy quality her hair had adapted, nor the grain-like feel of her own skin. It felt like a plastic bag was tightly wrapped around her face and it was itching all over. And… well… she smelled like a rotten oyster. _'At least I fit in now.'_  
  
Lost in her own musings, she fell quiet, eyes focussed on a spot far beyond the horizon. It was Gibbs' voice that snapped her out of it again.  
  
"Say, where be Jack?"  
  
Anamaria only shrugged in response. "Haven't seen 'im."  
  
"Strange. He usually beats the sun in risin'."  
  
"Probably still exhausted," Chloe piped in, ignoring the looks the other two shot her. She knew that didn't have a clue as to what she was talking about, since the seamen's festivities had lasted longer than that of Jack and Lex, which was a hard feat in itself.  
  
"Well," Gibbs continued. "We still need to be knowing it we'll be takin' the same route as last time or no', so someone'll have to wake I'm up, then." A grimace settled onto his aged features.  
  
"What are ya waiting fo'?" Ana quipped, ignoring the dirty look she received. "An' invitation? Ye ain't be getting one."  
  
"I got to wake the blighter last time," he responded, obviously having less than pleasurable memories of the experience.  
  
Chloe just stood there, watching the exchange with disinterest. That was, until the man's eyes landed on her, a gleam in them she wasn't quite comfortable with. "What?" she demanded indignantly, shifting her stance from one foot to the other.  
  
"Why don' ye go wake up the Capt'n, lass," he told her more than asked. "An' I'm sure yer friend'll want to rise too."  
  
Her mouth almost dropped to the floor. "No fucking way!"  
  
"C'mon, Miss Chloe, it's no' that bad."  
  
"Then you do it!"  
  
"Miss-"  
  
"When I say no, I fucking mean no. I'm not gonna wake them up, if they're not awake already! God only knows what they're doing in there! I refuse! No way in hell! If you're gonna make me, you better throw me overboard right now! Or better yet, just do nothing! I bet I could kill myself on half the shit lying around here!!"  
  
"They didn't actually have to dangle me over the side," Chloe grumbled as she stood in front of the Captain's cabin, hand poised over the door. Pausing, she scraped her courage together before knocking. As the sounds echoed in the silence on the other side of the door, her breath hitched, anticipating a response of some sort. A small frown appeared and annoyance coursed through her as nothing came, and she decided that a different approach was necessary.  
  
Hand dropping to the doorknob, she tried to twist it, slightly surprised that it gave into her motions quite easily. _'The guy's on a freakin' pirate ship where everyone's armed with either a cutlass or bad breath. You'd at least expect him to make use of something as simple as a lock.'_  
  
Slowly pushing it open, she winced as agonizing squeeks filled the air, reminding her of one too many horror flicks. After only having taken two steps further inside the cabin she froze, gaze resting on the broken bed, mouth hanging wide-open.  
  
There the two men lay, limbs entangled around each other, their faces only mere inches apart. It was a shocking sight, to be sure, but that wasn't what had captured her undivided attention.  
  
Arousal burned in her veins as her eyes took in Lex's half-naked form, clad in a pair of mere silk boxers, drinking in his delicious form. The fact that his boxers where a deep purple didn't manage to escape her attention, and she grinned. God, he really was beautiful. All she nights she spent dreaming of sliding her hands down his perfect body, the real-life thing didn't disappoint her in the least.  
  
Entranced, she found it almost physically impossible to tear her gaze from him, but when she moved it to the second occupant of the bed, she felt like gasping for air. Sleep had taken all the rough edges out of Jack's face and the desire to pounce this God's gift to the seventeenth century only increased as she trailed her eyes down. She could almost feel his smooth, muscled chest under her fingertips and the dark smudges of dirt marring his skin didn't help calm down her racing heart.   
  
The urge to just crawl on the bed between them gripped her like a vice, and she'd already taken a few more steps towards them when reality hit. Hard. The two looked like the cover of some sleazy romance novel. If only they were bi-sexual, but with her luck, she could dismiss that without a second thought.   
  
_'This is great! Just freakin' terrific!' _Abusing her bottom lip with her teeth, Chloe pondered over the best way to wake the two men. Loud insistent yelling and screeching always seemed to get the job done, but only produced grumpy individuals in the end, which made the whole thing considerably less fun. Ditto for the throwing water on them tactic. _'Maybe I should just rouse them physically. You know, just place my hands on a non-sexuel part of their anatomy and shake a little. That's innocent enough, right? Nothing harmless about that. A purely innocent way to reach a totally innocent goal. Of course. Now, who should I wake first?'_  
  
Taking her sweet time to further study the figures on the bed, she decided on Jack, since he, at least, still had his pants on. Approaching his side, she found out she had to kneel down in order to get on the same level as the collapsed bed. Images of the two grinding against eachother filled her mind, and a shiver ripped through her. Damn, that _really_ wasn't helping anything!  
  
"Stop it, stop it, stop it…" she muttered under her breath, reaching out to lay her hand on his shoulder. Before she could stop herself, she grazed her fingers across his flesh, revelling in the heat coming from him.  
  
She'd touched someone before, and definitely in more sinful ways, but those were boys. Lex and Jack were men. Extremely sexy men whom she felt attracted to.  
  
Breathing in deeply, she gently grasped him and shook. To her amusement, he only attempted to shrug her off, so she applied more force. Finally, one eye cracked open. There was a pause as the realization that Lex's face was almost pressed against his had yet to register in his mind. The second eye opened, they narrowed, then seemed to pop out of their sockets.  
  
With a choked shriek, he threw himself away from the other male, failing to notice Chloe until he fell off the bed, and therefore, right onto her.  
  
The blonde had no time to react and the two tumbled to the ground in a heap. "Oof," was the only thing she could bring forth, trying her best to stop the pounding in her head after having it crashed against the hardwood floor. There was some rummaging above her, which she decided to ignore due to her current migraine. "Where's an advil when you need one," she mumbled, groaning slightly.  
  
"A what, luv?"  
  
Looking up, she noticed that Jack hadn't moved from his position ontop of her, but had, instead, placed his knees around her waist and hands on either side of her head so that his weight wasn't pressed up against her anymore. Her mind blanked as she just stared up at the pirate, the sight of him hovering above her doing unimaginable things to her self-control.  
  
As no answer came from her, a frown marred his features. "Yer not lookin' too good. Didn't hit yer head too hard, did ye?" The honest concern she found in his slurred tone of voice brought her back to the present somewhat, and she managed a weak smile.  
  
Still, he didn't look convinced. Resting his weight on his left hand, he lifted the other to her forehead, checking the temperature. "Yer not hot," he commented.  
  
_'You are.'_  
  
Chloe had to bite her tongue not to say it out loud. "I'm okay," she told him, voice too husky for her own liking, so she cleared her throat a bit. "Really." Laying a hand on his chest, she attempted to push him off her, but he wouldn't budge. "Sparrow?"  
  
After giving her another long glance, Jack nodded slightly and slowly raised himself from the floor, pulling the blonde up with him. Still, he kept a rather protective hand on her lower back, supporting her somewhat even though it was unnecessary.  
  
"Thanx," she mumbled, keeping her eyes downcast. The sight of Jack's chest was just too much for her restraint to handle. As the guy in question finally seemed to notice her discomfort at his state of un-dress, he grinned devilishly, rubbing small circles on her back in a way that made shivers run up and down her spine.  
  
"Goodmorning," a gruff voice split the silence like a dull knife.  
  
Her gaze flew to Lex, who was sitting calmly on the bed, staring back at her with a mix of betrayel and jealousy.  
  
Her hands were rough, her knees were aching and her back was absolutely killing her. Who the hell did Jack think he was? Why did she slave herself day in and day out at school and on the Torch? To become a freakin' cleaning lady? No, worse! A deck scrubber?  
  
After having found out that Lex had witnessed that morning's little _incident _and still not fully trusting herself around the two gorgeous, half-naked men, Chloe had gotten out of there sooner than she could say gay, and informed Gibbs, who she was now starting to really dislike, that her little mission had succeeded.  
  
Not that much later, Jack and Lex followed her, bringing some bread with them, serving as breakfast. Turns out that the dinner she'd been enjoying the night before wasn't the everyday meal aboard a pirate ship. Not that she'd presumed it to be so.  
  
The tension between her and the billionaire was almost tangible, and it only took Jack a few minutes to figure out how the two could do something in return of his gracious hospitality, as he'd so generously dubbed it. Anamaria was ordered to provide Chloe with some clothing of her own, instead of the tight-fitting garments the reporter was already wearing, while Lex just stayed decked out in his own designer suit, minus the jacket.  
  
The young boy she'd barked at earlier had provided them with a two scrubbing brushes and a bucket, and had then scuffled off with a set of his own. Chloe and Lex had just stood there, staring dumbly at the objects, not quite believing Jack actually expected them to do the impossible task of trying to clean something on the ship.  
  
Noticing that the spot she had been working on for what seemed like forever now was still there, something inside of her just snapped. Letting out a sound of frustration, she threw down the brush, glaring at it angrily, eyes almost willing it to start cleaning the deck on its own accord.  
  
Beside her, also on his knees, Lex had stopped his similar actions as soon as he'd heard the object hit the floor, and was staring at Chloe with a hint of amusement in his slightly flushed features. "I think you'll need more than the _evil-eye _to kill it, Chloe," he commented with a smirk, wiping a few beads of sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his former white shirt.  
  
Chloe never averted her gaze from the brush. "No, but I'm pretty sure it'll sufficate after I shoved it up the _Captain's_ ass. Of course, it'll be a tight fit, with the stick already up there, not to mention his head."  
  
Chuckling, he picked up his own brush and leaned down again, continuing his scrubbing. Chloe only craned her neck to direct her heated look at Jack, who was standing at the helm, making sure the ship was on its right course. Almost immediately, she caught his eye and a grin spread out across the pirate's face. Visibly, his gaze drifted down for a moment before returning to hers, and he smirked wickedly.  
  
Chloe grudgingly picked up her brush again, mimicking Lex's movements. "You know," she told the billionaire casually. "I think your girlfriend is in for another ride. Better not tire yourself out today if you want to be able to rock the ship tonight."  
  
Frowning, Lex was going to ask her what she meant, when he saw her throwing glares towards the helm, and let his eyes grow wide. "Excuse me?" he questioned with the most casual voice he could manage, which wasn't quite so casual.  
  
Without relenting her attack on _the_ spot, Chloe snapped: "Don't play Clark with me, Luthor, you know what I'm talking about. Believe me, it's nothing to be embarressed about. Jack certainly has a certain quality to him, and I'm sure Michael, who I met during my internship at the Daily Planet, would've fawned all over him-"  
  
"I am NOT gay," he whispered vehemently, eyes darting around to see if anyone had overheard.  
  
A little surprised by Lex's fierce denial, but not overly so, she just ignored it. "You don't have to worry about me exposing your little... Okay, big secret, or write an article about it. I may be determined and ambitious, but that doesn't mean I'm a cold-blooded bitch. And it's not like I can do anything destructive to your playboy imagine from here, right?" With a vague gesture around them, she continued her work without ever having looked up. "Besides, I it's not like you've got a bunch of groupies stashed in the hull," she paused. "Unless there's something you're not sharing with me."_ 'Besides heterosexuality.'_  
  
"Chloe," he ground out, forcing her to finally face him. "Listen to me carefully: I am not gay."  
  
She just huffed. "And Jack's not checking out your ass right now either."  
  
"He's not interested in _me_!" He practically yelled, before her comment actually registered. Whipping his head around, he found the Captain's eyes transfixed on Chloe's oh-so-wonderful behind and clenched his hands into fists.  
  
Jack was just having delectable daydreams about a certain blonde, when he noticed Baldy's menacing snarl, and shook them from his mind, turning his focus on faring the ship through the waters again.  
  
Looking back at Chloe, he could see that she hadn't noticed anything and remained to look completely unphased by her so-called discovery. How was he supposed to lure this annoying woman into falling for him if she thought him to be gay? "Chloe..."  
  
"I know, I know, you dig brown-haired chicks and big hooters make you horny. Save it, Lex, 'cause I'm scrubbing for two here, so get the hell back to work."  
  
Staring at her with an incredulous look on his face, he slowly picked up his brush again.  
  
_'Oh god, this is going to be one long trip.....'_

TBC


	9. Midnight Conversations

**CHAPTER NINE: MIDNIGHT CONVERSATIONS**

Switching from gazing at the compass to readjusting the wheel, Jack navigated the ship through the calm waters with ease, revelling in the silence the night carried with it. It was late and he'd wager a good portion of the crew was already fast asleep, the rest getting ready to do the same. It had been an especially trying day, with the wind not picking up until well in the afternoon. The men were forced to handle the oars, rowing themselves into fatigue for hours on end.  
  
Thinking back to their bald _'guest'_, he was surprised to admit that the man had done quite an impressive job for one that didn't make career on the sea. This had his mind wandering back to the mysterious couple. He knew nothing of them, that was for certain, except for the fact that they were both hiding something. In all honesty, he was curious as to what this great secret was, but patience was something he had an abundance of. He had never been impatient, not over anything. Not even reclaiming the _Pearl_, which was just as well considering it took him ten years. No, he would always wait for the uppertune moment and it always seemed to come around if one was with it enough to see it. Not that it really mattered any way you looked at it, since he would be rid of them soon enough.  
  
Storing the compass away, he grabbed the bottle of rum from where it had been stuffed behind his belt and tipped it up to take a swig of it when some movement caught his eye. Glancing in that direction, it was just in time to see someone emerging from below-deck and he squinted to make out the person's identity. Recognizing the whisps of blonde hair, a wolfish grin spread out across his face. He secured the wheel, feeling safe enough with the easy weather not to give it a second thought as he descended from the helm and started making his way towards the figure.   
  
Closing her eyes, Chloe tried to clear her mind, listening to the waves softly crashing against the hull of the ship. The rythmic motion managed to sooth her somewhat, but was unable to get her thoughts away from home. It had been three days now, and she couldn't help but wonder what her father was doing right then. Was he at the police station, being questioned as to why his daughter may've been tempted to run away from home? Had her friends told Gabe where she had gone right before disappearing? Would they find out what happened to her and Lex?  
  
All these questions and more were running amock through her head, but the one that plagued her most was _'Will I ever get back?'_  
  
Letting out a sigh, she lowered her head a little to watch the full moon reflect off the water's surface.  
  
"Can't very well 'ave one o' my men sulking, now, can I?" a slurred voice cut through her haze.  
  
With a start, she turned to see Jack leaning against the railing next to her and silently scolded herself for not having heard him approach. "I'm not a man and most certainly not yours," she bit at him, doing nothing to hide the scowl twisting her lips.  
  
She knew he didn't deserve her bitchy attitude, but it was his own fault for inviting himself to a deep and meaningful conversation with a very annoyed and sleep-deprived Sullivan. Especially when said Sullivan was stuck in the 17th century with Lex-bloody gay-Luthor.  
  
_'Where is Lex, anyway,'_ she wondered idly, before dismissing it just as quickly.  
  
While his hat obscured his face from her view, Chloe's breath hitched momentarily as an almost wolfish grin peeked out from under the wide brim, rendering the girl speechless while he raked his gaze down her body. "I know."  
  
Before she could pull her eyes from him, he turned back to the waters, bowing froward as his elbows rested on the railing. She couldn't tell for sure, but she thought she saw his grin widen even more, if possible, and cursed herself for having been caught staring.  
  
"Though ye're wrong about the latter," he spoke up again, making her raise an inquistive brow. "Ye're on my ship, an' therefore, yer life rests in me _very_ capable hands." He winked at her, but only received a scoff.  
  
"Nice line, buddy," she told him, scrunching up her face with something akin to disgust. "But could we please refrain from discussing your bodyparts. I don't even want to think about where your hands have been." Thinking back to when she'd overheard him and Lex going at it in the Captain's cabin, she shuddered.  
  
"I know where I'd like them to be."  
  
Resisting the urge to gape at him, she wondered how the hell he delivered that line with a straight face, a little impressed.  
  
Silence reigned as both kept quiet, seemingly lost in thought, til the reporter broke it. "Where are we going?"  
  
He took a moment before answering. "Tortuga."  
  
_'Huh?' _"Tortuga?"  
  
"Aye," he affirmed, hands talking along with his mouth. "We'll drop ye and yer friend off there an' we'll all be on our merry ways."  
  
Nodding, she thought about what she and Lex were gonna do when getting to the mainland. Tortuga didn't sound so horrid, after all, it was named 'Turtle' in Spanish, how bad could it be. Maybe they could find some sort of a way back to their own time and continue on with their lives like normal people. Not that there was anything normal about their lives, but that was beside the point. The point was... was Jack drinking?  
  
She watched as he swallowed another large portion of the rum he'd almost forgotten he had trapped in his belt. The ease with which the liquor flowed into him like it was water alarmed her somewhat, afraid he was going to throw his tight, drunken ass off the edge and have the crew blame her for killing their _oh so charming _Captain.  
  
Noticing her eyes on him, he moved to face her, holding out the bottle. "Care for a sip, luv?"  
  
She grimaced, pushing a stray lock of hair out of her face. "Maybe in fifty years or so when I'm old and bitter and raving about cars and dishwashers and flushing toilets to poor, unsuspecting people on the streets of ancient, boring England."  
  
Staring at her for a long moment, he tried to figure out what she had just said before shrugging and lifting the bottle to his own lips again. "Ye know," he started, his hands beginning their less than graceful dance through the air again. "Where were ye going b'fore the mut'ny again?" His voice had started slurring even more and as she glanced at the almost empty bottle, she could see why.  
  
Choosing her words carefully, she ignored Jack as he swaggered over to a decent sized barrel and sat down on it, kohl-rimmed eyes watching her intently. "England. Our families live there and we haven't seen them for so long, so we paid the Captain of the..." she paused before making something up. "Rising Sun to have us tag along. Things didn't actually work out as planned and, well..." Pressing her lips in a thin line, she made a wide gesture with her hands as if to say "Here I am".  
  
Instead of aknowledging what she'd said, he just watched her, a pensive expression on his face. _'God, he's hot,'_ flitted through her mind and she silently cursed God for robbing women around the world of such a fine male specimen. _'Guess it's true what they say: "all good looking guys are gay". Especially certain sexy, pirate Captains and evil, playboy, billionaires.'_ A frown furrowed her brow as a thought hit her. _'Think Bruce Wayne is...?'_  
  
A voice stirred her out of her musings again. "Sit down, luv, all yer swayin's makin' me dizzy."  
  
Looking up, she debated wether or not to tell him that it was in fact his head that was swinging from side to side, but ruled against it. Even in the short timespan she'd been on the Black Pearl, she was convinced that she was already starting to get sea-legs just because she didn't get smacked down on the deck with every single wave. It was just a start, but she and her health were glad enough for it.  
  
Finding herself stiffling a yawn, Chloe decided to go back to Anamaria's cabin and get some sleep when Jack caught her arm, halting her from leaving. "An' where might ye be off to?" he questioned, a disarming grin playing on his lips.  
  
She just rolled her eyes, clasping her hand over that of Sparrow and removing it from her arm. "People tend to refer to it as 'sleep', but I suppose you're more familiar with the term 'passing out'," she shot at him along with a glare._ 'Poor Lex.'_  
  
Standing up, he swayed omniously before regaining some sense of balance. "What, luv?" he questioned, mocking bafflement. "An' leave my vivacious company?"  
  
The incredibly adorable pout on his lips did nothing for her irritation. "Vivacious?" she snorted. "I doubt you even know how to spell it."  
  
His mouth opened to actually proof her wrong, when he caught himself. Sligtly put out, he frowned. "I find tha' an insult to me intelligence!"  
  
"What intelligence?" she threw over her shoulder as she began walking towards the staircase that would lead her to the cabins. The laughter that boiled up behind her managed to surprise her, but she just kept on walking, careful not to bump into anything in the dark.  
  
"Ye wound me!" he shouted dramatically at her from across the deck, bringing both hands over his heart. The large grin remained on his face as she disappeared from sight, not wavering a bit as he dangerously made his way towards the helm once more, arms stretched out to his sides to keep what remained of his balance.   
  
Almost tripping at the top of the stairs, he managed to catch himself with an _'Oompf'_. "Bloody 'ell," he muttered, finally arriving at the wheel and gripped it with both hands. As this didn't work, he looked down to see that he was still holding the bottle and immediately threw it overboard.  
  
After having calmed down a little, he peered into the darkness with unfocussed eyes, trying to make out what he was looking at, but to no avail. With a heavy sigh, he gave up and let his mind wander back to the strange blonde.  
  
"We like 'er, don' we," he slurred, grin back in place as he stroked the wheel lovingly, talking to his beloved Pearl.  
  
"Chloe....."  
  
TBC


End file.
